Fluid-mixing apparatus



E. RUUD.

FLUID MIXING APPARATUS.

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FLUID MIXING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED'MAR. 27| 191B..

Reissued Apr. 6, 1920. 14,836.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITN ESSES peraturefadjusting means. Fig. 6 is a sec tional view of 'a valve casing ofmodified UNITED sTATEs VPATENT oEEIoE.

EDWIN RUUD, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYL'VAN12A.l

FLUID-IMIIXING-7 APPARATUS.

Specification of Reissued Letters Patent. Reissued Aplh 6, 1920.

Original No. 1,257,934, dated February 26, -1918, Serial No. 93,046, iileli April 24, 1916. Application for reissue led March 27, 1918. Serial No. 225,136.

Apparatus, of `which the following is a specification.

rlhe object of this invention is to provide a simple and eiiicient mechanism for so automatically controllin the flow of hot and cold iuids as to pro uce a mixture of substantially uniform predetermined temperature. The apparatus is designed primarily for controlling the iiow of water to a shower bath whereby, upon v setting the indicator for the approximate temperature desired, the user will be sure that the water will be discharged at that temperature regardless of variations in the hot and cold water service lines. shower bath use, it will be understood that the invention may be variously utilized for mixing water and other iuids of different temperatures for the purpose of maintaining a delivery of substantially uniform temperature.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of theimproved mechanism, the valve casing and valves being shown in section. Fig. 2`Jis an elevation taken at right angles to Fig. 1, the outlet portion of the apparatus being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan taken on line 3`-3 of Fig.'

1. Figs. 4 and 5.are elevations similar to Fig. 2, illustrating modifications in the temform. j

Referrin to the drawings, 2 designates a thermostatic tube of. brass or other metal having a high co-eiiicient'of expansion and `contraction and which is here illustrated as connected to an elbow vfitting 3 from which pipe 4 leads tofa suitable outlet, for instance the spray head or nozzle of a shower bath.

lFitting 3 may be adjustable vertically at 5 in, a Wall bracket 6, whereby such slight,

movement of the apparatus as may result from the expansion and contraction thereof may be Icompensated for without straining thehot and cold service lines. Secured to and communicating with the lower end of tube 2 is the valve casino' 7, and connected to opposite sides of the latter are thel cold While 'adapted especially for,A

and hot service-pipes 8 and 9, respectively. The chambered interior of casing 7 and the balanced valves cooperating therewith will.;

be presently described, it being suiiicient to vhere note that the valves. are operated by means of a longitudinally movable valve stem 10 projecting from one end of casing 7 Located beneath easing 7, yand preferably traversing the axial line of tube 2, is the abutment forming :head 11 provided with vertical rod passages 11" for the supporting rods 12 and 13, the latter arranged at op-v posite sides of and parallel with tube 2.

` The cooperatingi movement multiplying levers, which comprise a prefer-red means for converting the movement of tube 2 rela` tively to abutment 11 into multiplied valve bend in lever 17 carries it around abutment 11, and the free extremity of said lever engages bearing pin 18 carried by the thirdv lever 19, the knife-edge bearings19 of this lever also being mounted in depending portions 7l of thevalve casing. A leaf spring 20 projecting from lever 19 engages stem v10, said spring compensating for abnormal over-throw of the thermostatic mechanism resulting from extreme temperature conditions.

Operation: The heating of tube 2 by the water iiowing therethrough results in the expansion of the tube anda corresponding movement lof valve casing 7 relatively to abutment 11, the position of the latter being maintained by its support, here shown consisting of rods 12 and 13, which are not appreciably aii'ected by temperature changes. The described movement of the tube and valve` casing results in so oscillating the coperating movement multiplying levers as to move'v stem 1.0 tothe left, Fig. l, thereby diminishing the supply of hot water and correspondingly increasing the supply of cold Water. And obviously, a reverse operation ensues when the water flowing through tube 2 is sufficiently cold to conpact varying' the effective length of one of the abutment su/pporting rods. The Itotal range of adjustment is taken care of by a very slight deflection of the abutment, and the rod passages 1l' formed therethrough are of sufficient size to permit the abutment to accommodate itself to the adjustment desired. In the adaptation shown in Figs. 1 and 2, rod 12 is turned by means ofthe handle 25, the upper screw threaded extremity 2 6 of the rod being adjustable in threaded socket 26' of fitting 3. Abutment 11 is confined on the lower ends of rods 12 and 13 by nuts 12 and 13', respectively, so that rod 12 simply turns in the abutment and is shortened or lengthened at its upper end by such turning, as will be understood.

A In Figli, rod 12 is formed in two parts,

the lower portion being connected to the abutment as in Figs. 1 and 2, and the upper portion secured to fitting 3 'by nut 27 and can not rotate. |The lower threaded eXtremity 28 of the upper portion is entered in the threaded socket 29 carried by the lower portion of the rod, with handle 25 projecting from this socket. Thus, fby rotating the lower rod section the rod is shortened orL lengthened as desired. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, rod 12 -is rotatable at its upper end in fitting 3, and secured to its lower end above nuts 12 is washer`3() provided at its upper face with roller 31 which bears on the under inclined face 32 of abutment 11, whereby upon rotating'rod 12 the resulting cam actiony raises or lowers the abutment. In each of the positions shown in Figs. 1 to 4, an indicator 33 is secured to tube 2 and is provided at opposite sides with the words Hot and Cold, with a pointer 25' on handle 25 extending over the indicatorand by moving the pointer to position opposite one or the other of these designations, or to an intermediate position, the user will know that water ofscorresponding temperature will be supplied. .Obviously,

the position of abutment 11 ywith reference to the valve casing 7 will so all'ect the throw or the movement multiplying levers as to make them more or less sensitive to temperature variations.

The valve casing 7 is of novel and comconstruction. The central cavity 35 thereof, with which the lower end of tube 2 connects, is connected byl port 36 with the A cold water chamber 37 supplied from cold water pipe 8, and a corresponding port 36' connects chamber 35 with hot water cham-l beri37 t0 which leads the hot water pipe9. At the outer side of cold Water chamber' 37 is the balancing chamber 38, and at the outer y valve he'ads .into chamber 38, or 33', .is im!l mediately communicated through the valve to both of said chambers, thereby maintaining the valve in balanced condition. Stem 10 engages Aone end of the valve, and the pressure imparted through this stem is opposed by spring 42 which bears against the opposite end o'f the valve. f

In the adaptation shown in Fig. 6, the valve is solid instead of tubular, and communication is maintained between chambers 38 and 38' through the by-pass 43. And instead of depending on the leakage past the valve heads, fluid may be freely communicated to both balancing chambers from delivery'chamber 35 through port 43 connecting' said chamber and by-pass 43.

"'VVith either construction, the operation of the balanced valve is such that more or less hot or cold water is admitted to outlet chamber 35 of the valve.casing, as desired. Or

with the apparatus in either of the extreme adjustments, as indicated by pointer 25',

eitherv hot or coldv water may be used to the exclusion of the other.

l With the apparatus adjustably supported y' in bracket 6, the :.liovements incident to the thermostatic action are compensated for byV the slight raising' or lowering of the mechanism without changing the position of service pipes'S and 9, and Without subjecting them to strain.

I claim y 1. In fluid mixing apparatus, the combination of an abutment, a thermostatic tube adapted to expand and contract relatively to the abutment and from which mixed fluid passes, hot and cold fluid inlets for said tube, valves for said inlets, means independent of thermostatic movement for varying nation of an adjustable abutment, a thermostatic tube through which mixed fluid passes p adapted to expand and contract `relatively to the abutment and provided with hot and coldinlets, valves for said inlets, and means actuated by the thermostatic movement of the tube relatively to the abutment for operating the valves.

3. In fluid mixing apparatus, the comb- 130 nation of an adjustable abutment, a thermostatic tube through which mixed fluid passes adapted to expand and contract relatively to the abutment and provided with hot and cold` fluid inlets, valves for said inlets, and movement multiplying levers interposed between the abutment and the tube and actuated by the thermosta-tic movement of the latter relatively to the abutment' for Operating the valves.

4.- In `fluid mixing apparatus, the lcombination of an abutment, a thermostatie mixed fluid delivering tube, a' valve casing secured. to the tube and communicating therewith and having hot and cold fluid inlets, valves for controlling said inlets, and means interposed between the valve casing and the abutment and ac tuated by the thermostatic movement of the tube for operating the valves.

5. In `fluid mixin apparatus, the combination of an adjusta le abutment, a thermostatic mixedfluid delivering tube, a valve casing secured to the tube and communicating therewith and having hot and cold fluid inlets, valves for controlling said inlets, and

coperating movement multiplying levers mounted on the valve casing With one of the levers operatively connected to the valve and another of the levers connected to the abutment.

6. In fluid mixing apparatus, the combination of a thermostatic tube having lhot and cold fluid inlets and through which mixed fluid flows, .an abutment at one end of the tube, an adjustable support for the abutment whereby the position thereof relatively to the tube may be varied, and valve yoperating means 'connected tothe abutment and to the tube and actuated by the movement of the latter relatively to the abutment. 7

7. I-nv fluid mixing apparatus, the combination of a thermostatic tube through which mixed fluid flows, a fitting` for the tube, an l adjustable abutment support outside of said tube and secured to the fitting, an abutment sustained by the suppoit and spaced from the tube, the tube provided with hot and cold fluid inlets, valves for said inlets, and means actuated bythe thermostatic movement of the tube relatively to the abutmentv for operating the valves. v

8: In fluid mixing apparatus, the combi nat1on of a thermostatic tube through which mixed fluid flows, a fitting to which .the tube issecured, support' forming rods secured to said fitting outside of said tube, an abutment sustained by the rods and spaced from the tube, means for adjusting one of said rods for varying the position of the abutment, said tube provided with hot and cold fluidinlets, valves for the inlets,.and means actuated by the movement of the tube relativl'ely tothe abutment for operating the va ves.

9. In fluid mixing apparatus, the combination of a thermostatic tube through which mixedfluid flows, a fitting to which the tube is secured, support forming rods outside of said tube and secured to said fitting, an abutment sustained 'by the rods at the \end of the tube distant from said fitting,

.said tube, an abutment sustained by the rods at fthe end of' the tube distant from said fitting, one of' said rods being rotatable for varying the effective length. thereof and thereby varying the position of the abutment relativelyl to the tube and a handle for rotating said rod, an indicator for directing the Sil movement of the handle, said tube provided with hot and cold fluid inlets, valves for the inlets, and means actuated by the movement of the tube relatively to the abutment for operating the valves. i

l1. In fluid mixing apparatus, the combination of a thermostatic tube through which mixed fluid flovvs, a fitting to Which the tube is secured, a valve casing secured to the end of the tube distant from said fitting and having hot and cold fluid inlets, valves for the inlets, an abutment spaced from the valve casing, an abutment support outside -of said tube and secured to said fitting,

means for adjusting the support to vary the position of the abutment relatively to they valve casing, and valve operating means interposed betvveenthe valve casing and the abutment and actuated by movement of the tube and casing relatively to the abutment.

12. In fluid mixing apparatus, the combination of a thermostatic tube through which mixed fluid flows, a fitting to which the tube is secured, a valve casing secured tov the end of the tube distant from said fitting and having hot and cold fluid inlets, valves for the inlets, an abutment spaced from the valve casing, abutment supporting rods located outside of said tube and secured at one end to said fitting and paralleling the tube, means for varying the effective length of one of the rods for varying Vthe position of the abutment relativeto the valve casing, and valve voperating means interposed between the valve casing and the abutment and actu- 'ated'by the movement of the tube and casing Arelatively to the abutment.

13. In a fluid mixing apparatus, a thermostatic tube through which the mixed fluid passes, a valve casing connected to said tube and having a fluid outlet in communication therewith, hot and cold fluid inlets to said casing, a piston Valve controlling said inlets, a fiuid passage for placing the opposite ends of said valve in fluid pressure equalizing communication, and means actuated by the thermostatic movement of said tube for operating said valve.,

14. In a fluid mixmg apparatus, a thermostatic tube through which the mixed fluid passes, a valve casing having an outlet connected to said tube and hot and cold fluid inlets, a piston valve having its opposite ends enlarged for controlling said inlets, an equalizing passage connecting the opposite ends of said valve, and means actuated by Y the thermostatic movement of said tube for operating said valve. Y

15. In a fluid mixing apparatus, a thermostatic tube through whichthe mixed fluid passes, a valve casing having an outlet connected to said tube, oppositely disposed hot and cold Huid inlets, a piston valve having its opposite ends enlarged for control'ling said inlets, an e ualizing passage connecting the outer ends o said valve, fluid controllin ports intermediate the inner ends 'of sai valve, and means actuated by rthe thermostatic movement ofsaid tube for 'actuating said valve.

16. In a iuid mixing apparatus, a thermoi static tube through which the mixed fluid 4 In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

. EDWINRUUD. 

